Holiday Gift Guide 2014: The Movie Lover

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Between little-known spacefaring superheroes from the 1970s becoming one of the most successful films of the year and one of the year’s most anticipated films getting a high profile release on 70mm film, 2014 has been a fantastic year for film fans. Whether you’re a hardcore cinephile, a genre guru, or simply looking for the perfect gift for the movie maven in your life, this guide has something for you. So, go ahead and get a jump start on the mall-based mayhem of Black Friday with our handy dandy gift guide. This way you can actually enjoy your Thanksgiving rather than feeling like you’re a competitor in a turkey-filled version of The Hunger Games.

Halloween: The Complete Blu-ray Collection: This holiday season, why limit yourself to watching The Nightmare Before Christmas to get your spooky wintertime fix? Collecting all 10 films across a 15 disc collection, this limited edition box set contains all manner of never-before-seen goodies including new cast interviews, commentary tracks, a producer’s cut of Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers, and much more. Creepy masks, however, are sold separately.

Drafthouse Films Alliance subscription: In addition to running some of the raddest movie theaters in the country, the folks at Alamo Drafthouse curate a wide variety of inventive, eclectic indie films through their Drafthouse Films wing. For the indie film love in your life, they have the perfect holiday gift — a membership in the Drafthouse Alliance. Members will receive 10 new Drafthouse Films releases (either as a 720p HD digital download or, for slightly more money, as a Blu-ray/DVD) before they’re released to the public, special features, audio commentaries, and invitations to events and screenings available exclusively to Alliance members. Just remember who told you about this if you ever have a plus one.

Sideshow Collectibles’ Sauron Premium Format statue – One does not simply walk into Mordor and people will think twice about barging into your office if they see this incredibly detailed Sauron statue from Sideshow Collectibles guarding your desk. Weighing in at 67 lbs and standing an imposing 36″ tall, this premium format Sauron statue is limited to 1,500 pieces, which makes it an instant collector’s item. Retailing for $899.99 means that you may have to pawn your One Ring in order to afford it for the diehard Middle-earth fan in your life, but is there anything more precious than seeing a Smaug-sized smile on your loved one’s face?

Jim Henson Novel Slipcase Box Set: Far and away, one of the best stewards of Jim Henson’s creative legacy has been BOOM! Studios’ Archaia imprint which has released a steady stream of Henson-inspired works over the last several years. Their latest offering, however is a must have for those of you who grew up on Henson’s creations: a gorgeous slipcase collection of novelizations of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and The Storyteller. Picking up one of these bad boys might just be the best decision since they decided to cast David Bowie as Jareth, the Goblin King.

CLAUS minimalist movie prints: Let’s face it — buying foreign language movie posters is so passe. No one needs another French Fight Club one-sheet hanging in their living room. Rather, if you want to celebrate your filmic fandom through aesthetically pleasing artwork, look no further than CLAUS Studios. Artist Justin Harder employs an astute eye and clean design sense to create minimalist homages to everything from The Avengers to The Big Lebowski to Rad and beyond.

SundanceNow Doc Club subscription: Are you a film festival fiend with an eye towards the latest releases? Do you relentlessly refresh the Sundance website to find out what will be make the rounds in Park City? Then look no further than a subscription to the SundanceNow Doc Club, a streaming service with a library of award-winning films curated by the likes of Ira Glass, Thom Powers, and many more. In addition to an extensive catalog of documentaries available for streaming on your smartphone, tablet, TV, and computer, members will also receive exclusive access to film festivals, premieres, free movie tickets, and more.

Flux Capacitor USB Car Charger: You may not be able to afford a refurbished Delorean, but you can still feel like Marty McFly from the comfort of your own car thanks to ThinkGeek’s Flux Capacitor USB car charger. While it may not provide 1.21 gigawatts of power, it has two ports that will let you charge your iPad, smartphone, or pretty much anything that you can charge via a USB connection. Please note: just because you have a Flux Capacitor car charger doesn’t make it any less illegal to go 88 MPH in a residential zone.

The Wolf Man cane replica: While this silver-headed walking stick proved to be Larry Talbot’s undoing in 1941’s The Wolf Man, chances are that the only misfortune to befall owners of this replica prop is the intense jealousy of their friends. Limited to 400 pieces, the replica Larry Talbot cane was created under the guidance of prop collector/film historian Bob Burns (who owns the original Ellis Burman-sculpted cane). With a story booklet, certificate of authenticity, and display plaque, this The Wolf Man replica will have its recipient howling with delight.

Mondo Gremlins Sweater: During the summer, the frigid air conditioning of most movie theaters was a welcome reprieve from the horrendous heat. In the dead of winter, however, focusing on a movie can be awfully difficult if you’re busy shivering to stay warm. The solution is, of course, to pick up a warm winter sweater, preferably one that will let you wear your movie fandom on your sleeve (and your chest) like this Gremlins sweater from Mondo.

Criterion Designs: Your Blu-ray shelf is packed to the gills with films new and old, but what about that giant empty spot on your coffee table? Surely it can’t remain covered by expired Bed Bath and Beyond coupons forever. Rather than letting clutter win, pick up a copy of Criterion Designs, a 306-page hardcover tome containing covers, supplemental art, and brand new sketches commissioned by the Criterion Collection. Featuring artwork by the likes of Daniel Clowes, Michael Allred, Matt Kindt, Sarah Habibi, Bill Sienkiewicz, and many more, this is a must-have for the design-obssessed film geek in your life.

Funko POP! Dancing Groot – Do you really need me to explain why you should buy the Guardians of the Galaxy fan in your life one of the single cutest licensed goods ever produced? Dancing Baby Groot didn’t just shimmy his little heart out; he grooved his way into our hearts and now your can keep the dance-a-thon going well into 2015 with this Funko POP! toy.

Nerdist Gift Card: Okay, okay, this isn’t exactly movie-related per se, but what better way to show you’re part of an elite group of handsome individuals with great taste than by rocking some gear from the Nerdist store?

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What else is on your list this year? Let us know in the comments below or tell me on Twitter (@Osteoferocious).

Comments

My husband, my son, and I all agree that the CLAUS minimalist movie prints need to be reproduced as auto rear window family stickers – the Lebowski print in particular. We are still arguing who gets to be Walter.